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Take Heed HOW Ye Hear

by Micky Galloway

To “take heed” is to be cautious or to be careful. It is a warning that indicates a condition that might be misunderstood or even unnoticed if it were treated with an attitude of indifference. We must stop and think, exercise caution to make sure our efforts are pleasing to God. Mark 4:24 says, “And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete it shall be measured unto you; and more shall be given unto you.” On the other hand, Luke 8:19 says, “Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he thinketh he hath.” The parable of the sower in Luke 8:4-15, illustrates four very different kinds of hearers. The wayside hearers were those from whom Satan snatched the word out of their hearts. The rocky ground hearers were deterred by outside influences as they confronted temptations. The thorny ground hearers were choked by the internal influences of their own cares and pleasures. But the good ground hearers were those who were productive. We must take heed how we hear. Not all who hear the truth are profited by it. What kind of hearer are you? Let us not be

Forgetful hearers. James 1:25 says, “But he that looketh into the perfect law, the (law) of liberty, and (so) continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth but a doer that worketh, this man shall be blessed in his doing.” Perhaps our biggest problem is not that we fail to know or understand, but we forget to apply what we know. In II Peter 3, some willfully forgot “that there were heavens from of old, and an earth compacted out of water and amidst water, by the word of God; by which means the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished …” Peter, in keeping with the theme of the second epistle reminds them, “But forget not this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (II Peter 3:5,6,8). We may know many truths, yet willfully forget them until it is too late in the day of sickness or death.

Dull hearers. Jesus said of the Pharisees, “For this people’s heart is waxed gross, And their ears are dull of hearing, And their eyes they have closed; Lest haply they should perceive with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And should turn again, And I should heal them” (Matthew 13:15). The Hebrew writer also wrote of some who were Christians, “… ye are become dull of hearing. For when by reason of the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need again that some one teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food” (Hebrews 5:11-12). These heard the truth, but it had no strong appeal to them. These obviously were not hungering and thirsting after righteousness (cf. Matthew 5:6). They had no appetite for the word of God.

Itching ear hearers. Paul wrote to Timothy, “For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables” (II Timothy 4:3-4). These are those who want a “feel good, positive gospel.” These may be heard to say, “Don’t preach on any issues, we don’t want a negative gospel.” In every age “soft-soapers” and “false teachers” have been in great demand. Isaiah wrote of those claiming to be children of God, “For it is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of Jehovah; that say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits” (Isaiah 30:9-10; cf. Jeremiah 5:31; 6:16). Jeremiah knew that this kind of teaching would destroy the people of God. “Woe unto the shepherds that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith Jehovah … In the prophets of Jerusalem also I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies; and they strengthen the hands of evil-doers, so that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them become unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah … Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they teach you vanity; they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of Jehovah. They say continually unto them that despise me, Jehovah hath said, Ye shall have peace; and unto every one that walketh in the stubbornness of his own heart they say, No evil shall come upon you … How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies, even the prophets of the deceit of their own heart? that think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbor, as their fathers forgat my name for Baal” (Jeremiah 23:1,14,16,17,26-27). This is sad indeed! Many congregations have been led into apostasy because the preachers tried to please the people instead of save the people.

Stopped ear hearers. When Steven presented his resounding sermon in Acts 7, his hearers stopped their hears that they might not hear. They were so stubborn they would not hear. “But they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and rushed upon him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city, and stoned him” (Acts 7:57-58). It is not uncommon when folks do not like the message; they want to kill the messenger. This was true of the Lord and true of the apostle Paul (Matthew 26:4; Mark 14:1; John 5:18; 7:1; Acts 9:23, 29; 21:31; 25:3). Jesus told his disciples these things would come (Matthew 24:9).

It is not enough that one merely hear preaching, even the preaching of truth. It is essential that one hear correctly to apply accurately God’s word. Let us examine ourselves and “take heed therefore how ye hear.”

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